3 former Mets that are off to a bad start with their new teams

After a shopping spree in the offseason left the New York Mets with the highest payroll in baseball, many starters from last years roster had been replaced with newer options. The team re-hauled most of its pitching staff, including multiple starters as well as letting several key bullpen members walk and join new teams this winter.

Some of these former Mets have failed miserably in their first appearances of the year. While this season hasn't gone exactly how Mets fans had hoped thus far, they can relax a bit easier knowing it would've been much worse if the front office had signed one of these players.

Former New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt has been plagued by the long ball for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Aquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics before the 2022 season, Chris Bassitt was the definition of an "inning eater" for the Mets. With a 15-9 record and 3.42 ERA, Bassitt served as a reliable third option for a team that faced injury concerns on the pitching staff all season.

Bassitt was essentially replaced with Kodai Senga this offseason, and promptly signed a 3 year, $63 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto signed him hoping he could repeat his successes from 2022, or even return to his All-Star form from his time with Oakland in 2021. So far, they have gotten neither.

Through his first two starts, Bassitt is 1-1 with a horrifying 10.61 ERA. He did not make it out of the third inning in his first start, giving up nine earned runs in 3.1 innings. In just nine innings of work, Bassitt has already fallen victim to five home runs, including this absolute bomb to Mike Trout:

Chris Bassitt's time in Queens might be most remembered by his shortcomings, as he struggled mightily in the Mets game 3 loss to the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card round. While letting a pitcher of his talent walk was an issue that divided some fans, right now it appears clear that the Mets did the right thing by prioritizing Senga instead.

Former New York Mets pitcher Taijuan Walker has not lived up to his new contract.

An All-Star in 2021, Taijuan Walker was a great piece of Mets starting rotation the past two seasons. After going 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA last season, some Mets fans were hopeful that the team would resign Walker to a long term deal this offseason.

Instead, the Philadephlia Phillies swooped in and signed Walker to a mammoth 4 year, $72 million contract. Like the Mets, the Phillies were big spenders this offseason and were hopeful that Walker would shore up the back end of their rotation. The Mets not paying Walker that much money seemed like a smart decision at the time, and through two starts that still looks to be the case.

Walker has started off 2023 with a 6.00 ERA across nine innings of work, and the Phillies are 0-2 in his starts. He has yet to make it to the fifth inning in either start due to his issues with his command; across his first 41 batters faced, he has already issued 8 walks.

Unless he is able to turn this poor start around, the Mets will look like geniuses for signing Walker to that long of a contract. Not only was that money saved used on other contributors, but the rival Phillies are still on the books for $54 million owed to him after this season ends. Walker was well respected during his time in Flushing, but at the moment it looks like the Mets were right to let him walk.